


Salvage: Rise of a Rebellion

by Author_X



Series: Savage Wreckage [1]
Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Alien Invasion, Aliens, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Space, F/M, Human, IN SPACE!, Interspecies Relationship(s), Original Character(s), Outer Space, Post-Apocalypse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Science, Science Fiction, Space Battles, Space Flight, Space Pirates, Space Stations
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:28:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23342482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Author_X/pseuds/Author_X
Summary: Every mammal wanted to go to space. The final frontier of mammal exploration where the bold thrive and the daring pursue, but never like this. Where those from distant stars came and ravished, mammal-kind were forced to leave their only home and make do on rocks in freezing temperatures. They named it Judgement Day, where 600 billion souls perished in just four days.You’d think they’d unite after this calamity, but no two mammals are alike and no two goals coincide. Fractured across the planetary system, mammals fight, not just these monsters, but each other for their own survival. Two mammals set on different paths will soon unite in one journey to regain back their world, Animalis. Judy Laverne Hopps, a new young recruit in the Zootopian Armed Forces (ZAF) who has never seen the monsters that took their freedom, meets Nicholas Piberius Wilde, a survivor of Judgement Day. Join our heroes’ quest to unite the dejected mammals of society and fight for one cause: Survival.
Relationships: Finnick (Zootopia)/Original Character(s), Gideon Grey/Sharla, Jack Savage & Skye, Jack Savage/Skye, Judy Hopps & Nick Wilde, Judy Hopps/Nick Wilde
Series: Savage Wreckage [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1678795
Comments: 8
Kudos: 20





	1. Dark Nights (prologue)

The sound of rattling steel echoed through the stilled ship. The tension in the air was thicker than the metal that kept them confined. A hundred mammals of all sizes, ranging from the largest elephant to the smallest shrew, sat shoulder to shoulder, completely perturbed. 

A particularly young red fox sat beside his mother within the white-walled vessel. He sat in complete awe of the ship as it was nothing he’d ever seen before. The vessel was massive for the young pup as being able to accommodate such capacity was simply mind-boggling to him. The room had four rows of seats; two rows stretched against the walls of the room and two more were stationed in the middle, backed to each other.

The light that streamed across the room was simply elegant and looked like something ripped off of some sci-fi movie like the _Felinnium Falcon_ from _Star Paws_. The engines whirred nicely in his ears and the tremors felt homely. 

The young tod didn’t know what was happening, just like any other cub on the ship. One minute he was in his initiation for the junior ranger scouts and the next, he was dragged outside along with all of his friends and thrown into the metal box.

His mother sat beside him, eyes red and puffy which only stared on the blank slated wall across from them. Her purple gown was tainted with what the young Reynard could only hope was tomato sauce, and her ears laid flat, twitching momentarily. Like anyone else, she looked as if a ghost had just run past her. If she didn’t have those emerald eyes he possessed, he’d look nothing like her.

His train of thoughts flew out of the ship as the constant tremor turned to violent rocking. The passengers burst into tears, screaming and praying to the lords for mercy. But the thunderous bellow of the ship didn’t last long. The tears and whimpers died down gradually. The young reynard felt his body separate from his seat, no longer feeling the weight of his body against him.

“Wha-?” he whispered. His body having long flown away from his seat. _Am I in space?_ he wondered, clearly indulged into the euphoria which is 0 g. It felt like being underwater without the weight of the water above. He almost wanted to smile and laugh but it didn’t really fit with the atmosphere, as a shining moon in a starless night if you will. Most of them strapped themselves and laid flat against their back and against their seats, not a clue on why. 

He was enjoying himself, exploring the weightless experience, when suddenly the whole ship jerked sideways. He felt his body left his chair and nearly floated out into the distance if it wasn’t for his mother who held him tightly and strapped him on his chair. She mumbled something but it was too faint for his ears to catch. 

He knew something was wrong. Her unusual mute behaviour was driving him mad and he couldn’t just sit there and do nothing. He quickly dove onto her and grabbed her in a tight embrace. “It’s okay mom... ” he mumbled into her gown.

His mother could only give him a weak smile in return. She leaned in and sniffled. Time seemed to move slower but the sudden jerk of the ship managed to separate them apart. A sudden siren was blaring overhead before everything cut off. 

The mammals on board were in hysteria. Screaming became ringing in their ears and tears soon became streams of waterfalls floating off to the space around them. The blaring red light that only shone over the inhabitants of the ship in short pulses showed the despair in their eyes. Their hopelessness, their sorrows and fears. Even the king of the jungle trembled, the fearless tiger whimpered and the strong bear showed tears. Things he thought he’d never see in his life. 

It was as if death would come in through the entrance door at this instant. His prediction wasn’t too far off. Not long after, heavy footsteps ringed through the hallway. The sound of metal clashing metal was berating followed by a couple of light footsteps from who he assumed was the sheep that brought him here in the first place.

He heard the familiar sound of the mammal but it was in sounds of terror and fear. He closed his eyes, afraid to imagine whatever happened to them. The cries soon died down and metal clatters were soon heard again. His mother tightened her grip on him. 

**_BANG_ **

The tears finally made their way to his eyes. His sobbing came next and hiccups would soon follow after. The clashing of the doors resonated through the room, only intensifying the panic and soon every mammal was cowering behind anything that gave them cover.

**_BANG_ **

The dents that came afterwards only showed its raw strength.

**_BANG_ **

**_BANG_ **

**_BANG_ **

After countless attempts, the banging finally stops. Every mammal held their breath and hoped for anything. A miracle, a hero, anything that could help them. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**_BANG_ **

The Reynard jolted out from his bed, surrounded in his own pool of sweat. His heart thumped harshly against his chest and his panting ragged. He sighed as he rubbed his eyes. The same memory that terrorised his nights for the last twenty-three years. You’d think by now he would’ve gotten used to it but he couldn’t quite remember the last time he had a good night's rest.

The red fox rose from his bed and bolted straight to his personal bathroom. He cupped his paws together and let the tap run continuously. The cold water splashed his face with a slight sting and even managed to drench his outerwear, as if it wasn’t already.

He stopped imagining what they looked like. The beast that bent metal with their hands. He regretted the day he never looked away. Creatures that stood upright on two legs like anyone else but creatures that weren't covered with fur but covered themselves with metal and glass that shone in such magnificent ways that blinded him. A creature with paws of five fingers and no tail. It was nothing he’d ever seen before and nothing he would like to face ever again.

The Reynard made his way to his nightstand and took his drink. Life in space was far different than on Earth, but at least alcohol survived out here. He took a big swig from the bottle and put it back down. He felt his stomach grumble. Knowing very well he’ll never get his sleep back, he decided to venture out and find something to eat. When the blast doors opened, he looked left and right and saw none of his neighbours had awakened yet. 

He carefully walked across the narrow hallway to the cafeteria. It was more of a break room than anything. The room wasn’t really bigger than his living quarters. The click of the switch was heard and the lone light that hung over the cafeteria ceiling dimly lit up. He finally went to the fridge -or more famously known now as the Sustenance Containment Unit (SCU)- and looked through the dining options for today.

Nutrient bar, nutrient bar, nutrient bar, and a five-star restaurant dish called ‘nutrient bar.’ It was okay the first few months but eating the same thing for twenty-three years, can turn even perfectly seasoned steak into a bland delicacy. Maybe he’ll skip it for now and come back later when nutrient bars actually looked appetizing.

The sound of a plasma rifle charging found its way to his ear. His fur rose almost instinctively. All equipment was stored in the armoury and was only taken fifteen minutes before any raid. That was the rules of the ship. Whoever this mammal was, they were in deep trouble. He’ll make sure this mammal doesn’t see the light of day from this point on forward.

However, the voice that followed surely didn’t meet his expectation. He was sure it would’ve been his first mate, Finnick. The gruff voice he recognized so well didn't greet his ears. Instead, the voice that resonated was light and sweet. Almost, dare he say, cute. It was definitely a female. Odd. Last he checked, there wasn’t a single she-mammal on this ship.

“Nicholas Piberius Wilde. You are under arrest.”


	2. Rogue Soldier

The bathroom door opened with a gushing sound of air. Steam from the shower rushed into the main room, warming the enclosed space to a bearable temperature. A grey doe strode into the room with much glare and energy of a drunk toddler and approached her closet with nothing but a towel above her head. Her room was devoid from any other inhibitor so she never minded. 

The doe threw her dark green uniform down to her single-size bed and continued to dry her long ears. The tiny spherical window beside her bed showed the glassy blue surface of Animas Olaris’s seventh planet, Synnefa. An astounding scenery to behold that etches a genuine smile on her face even from the small crack of a window she has to squint through. The grey doe sighed as she laid down on the bed, her face painted with a prideful grin. Her first mission was a massive success. She loved every single bit of it; the danger, the action, and the risks. Although most mammals wouldn’t think too much of the small bunny in the middle of the fight, they learnt at a great cost never to underestimate her again. 

She recalled the adrenaline that surged through her when she snuck past the oblivious pirates, the rapid sounds of blaster shots bouncing off the walls was a serenade to her ears, and the brawl with the crew that led to a satisfying victory. She knew this is where she was meant to be, where she truly belonged; in front of danger instead of at home snuggled tightly with her pa while heroes risked their lives to keep her safe. 

The mere thought of him brought her memories back on full front. She stood up and looked over the full-body mirror in front of her; grey fur meshed with white in all of its glory. Clean and untouched, there was no scar to behold, no stories to reminisce, or memories to relive. She was never proud of that fact. For as long as she could remember, she was the most daring of the litter but that didn’t stop her father from keeping her out of harm's way. 

His intentions were pure, but it was not uncommon for their goals to collide one another. Nevertheless, she was twenty-three now and left to her own devices. Long has she wanted to venture to the stars and fought to protect what she knew was right. Now, boarding an official vessel of the Zootopian Armed Forces, she could finally start her journey to make Animas Olaris a better place.

“Sergeant Jack Savage. Private Judy Hopps. Report to the Captain’s bridge immediately.” The PA system blared overhead. Judy’s ears perked up at the sudden announcement and frantically put on her service uniform. She donned her long-sleeved button up shirt and knee length pants and armed her trusty Era-7 blaster along with her uniform cap before finally setting off in a haste.

The blast doors opened and she sped down the hallway to the main elevator on her way to her very first mission review. She passed various other menagerie of mammals on the way: regardless of predator or prey. She even laid eyes on a feeble mouse the size of her blaster. Some would think of their recruitment method to be unorthodox but in reality, the ZAF weren’t one that could deny recruits. 

Most inhabitants who lived through Judgement Day refused to join the ZAF. After all, what good would it be for them? Many don't see eye to eye and wonder why saving other lives was a necessary task. Mammals started creating their own factions; most died off but the luckiest ones survive to this day.

Factions like The Belt Miners lived off asteroids and dwarf planets, surviving off their resources to fend themselves. Other factions, like the Knights of Solarium, used the Sun's immense heat as a protective shield and source of endless energy. How they survive in such condition is still a mystery to this day. There are also others who survive by pillaging and plundering like the pirate syndicate, Animalia’s Independent Mammals of Revolution, who make their living off of other’s. Mammals like them are the exact reasons why Judy joined the ZAF. 

In fact, just merely a couple of hours ago, she had managed to capture the most notorious pirate, Nicholas P. Wilde. For years, Wilde has terrorized colonies and citizens of the ZAF, and other various factions, yet he remained completely untouchable by any ship they had in their disposal. His prowess granted him the nickname ‘the phantom tail’. His reign of terror ended today behind the bars of the Zootopian Armed Vessel (Z.A.V.) gladiator, a medium sized corvette, newly built by their faction. Judy was one of the newest recruits tasked to it. 

Though to tell the difference between any ship she had seen before, it would be like eating peas from the same pod; similar in every way. It was an old design that most of their ships used and still relied on today. While she loved her job, they needed to start getting better engineers that could really remodel their ships instead of making them look like clones from the same batch. 

It wasn’t like they didn’t try. The ZAF simply did not have the necessary funds to do so. The heated tension between them and the other factions was also to blame. With restricted manpower, limited resources, and no outside help, the ZAF seemed like an easy prey on a hungry night, but fortune favors the prey. Many other factions have planned an offensive and executed with perfect detail but when the hand is dealt, and all the cards unfold, they, who have gambled with fate, shall only receive the bitter lashes, for they possesses a weapon underestimated by any mammal that laid their eyes upon it; unlimited energy. 

The only faction with a working fusion reactor and a battery efficient enough to traverse the whole planetary system, their defensive plan was to hunker and hide and let an onslaught of weaponry rain on the shields till the enemies had exhausted their energy supply and ran back. This is where they strike and capture. Some were executed, but others were given a chance at recruitment.

The story as to how they were able to achieve such a feat? No one knows. Some stories told of how brave soldiers stole it from the monster that now ravages Animalis, other stories told of a younger star scientist that had made such discovery in her sleep, some stories even went as far as the Admiral having discovered it in his cup of coffee.

A mere propaganda if you asked the grey bunny. Her best guess would be of an old scientist that never got to finish his work, and the ZAF were lucky enough to be able to scavenge enough of the blueprints to rebuild it functionally. 

_Ding._

Judy quickly entered the elevator and smashed the button to the top floor, disregarding the ship's fragile prehistoric design. Her foot thumped rapidly, impatient to meet eye-to-eye with the Commander in regard to her mission.

“H-Hold the elevator!” 

She saw a glimpse of a grey colored bunny, hopping his way to the elevator hastily. The hare wore the exact same green color to her uniform but it was significantly decorated with various ribbons. She smirked devilishly and a light bulb dinged over her head with an idea. If this was who she thought it was, then there was no need to fret.

As the door closed slowly, Judy held her face with a snark, to which the buck replied with a grin of his own. As he ran across the hallway, avoiding every mammal of every color on the way, he performed various straight lines over the course of mere seconds, using various patterns effectively in every endeavor. Judy responded with a yawn and an eye-roll. Not to be outmatched, he doubled his speed gradually until it was hard for her to keep track of his shadow.

As he closed in with incredulous speed, a group of rhinos was the only thing that blocked his path to the elevator. The rhino moved like sloths across the hallway and the grey hare couldn’t wait for them to pass. By then, Judy would’ve been long gone. He tripled his speed, charging straight towards the rhinos. Challenging a crash of rhinos was nothing short of suicide.

Thankfully, he didn’t seem to desire a death wish just yet. Soon, Judy saw the striped grey-black fur ball, emerging around the side of the hallway. Running at such speed that the friction of his paws were able to hold his body against walls. Using the hallway’s circular shape, Jack successfully skid over the walls like the motorcycles in the Globe of Death. 

He dropped when he reached the ceiling of the hallway, kicking against the white roof and tumbling down over the wall of rhino. He slid through the door as it was closing, avoiding the chances of the sensors catching his body on the way in. The door closed shut and the pressure stabilized. 

The buck stood on two legs, dusting off his uniform nonchalantly. His eyes bore a hole through her head, dark amethysts not daring to meet the fury of his bright golden topaz.

“Very funny Hopps.”

Judy couldn’t help but let out a fit of giggle at his remark. 

“Oh my gosh, sir, I didn’t see you there.” Judy feigned a gasp as she saluted lazily, failing completely to contain her snickers.

“Watch that tongue, Hopps. I _am_ your superior officer.” He snapped, clicking his tongue with a sharp glare pointing directly at her. Judy rolled her eyes. First sergeant Jack Savage is one of the few rabbit officers that came before her. To find him in charge of her platoon was, safe to say, quite relieving. She knew that bunnies had no business out here and she knew that they were treated rather differently from other mammals.

“By two promotions. I'm sure I'll get that by next month.” She quipped confidently. 

“Sergeant in a month? It took me _seven years_ to reach this position, Judes. You think you can achieve that in four weeks?”

“Absolutely. I believe anyone can do anything and I’d be the first bunny captain in the ZAF.”

Jack frowned as he shook his head slowly.

“You’re too naïve, Hopps. Even if you’re top in your class and take down those pirate syndicates, Admiral Bogo wouldn’t even blink to reply no. Trust me, I’ve been there. Only reason we’re all here is because they’re running low on personnels. Don’t think we’d ever be more than foot soldiers.”

“Well…” the cadet trailed. “The admiral hasn't seen anyone like me before. I’ll change his mind.” Judy stomped and crossed her arms. Jack gave her a warm smile. Unlike his friend that stood before him, Jack was more of a realist; far more down to earth than his mentee. Despite being a pragmatic rabbit like him, he admires Judy's pure heart even if it leads to impractical actions. Thriving to fight for mammals who couldn’t, sad he would witness it be taken away.

What he said wasn’t completely wrong either. The ZAF were getting desperate to find new recruits from the local habitats. Even the bridge was missing a couple of officers. On top of that, searching further into the solar system was not easy work, nor was it cheap. No one really wanted to follow rules and orders in these times of chaos. The ZAF had to resort to bribery many times, leaving the faction to be well under budget. 

Judy was nothing like those so-called ‘soldiers’. Her goal was more than her paycheck, not that she needed the money anyway. She could’ve stayed home and harvested crops and that would’ve set her for life, but her aim was high. Higher than any crops. The elevator came to a grinding halt and beaming light shone through the cracks. 

The elevator door opened to the bridge. A circular room where mammals of black uniform were monitoring the ships in every detail. Pure white painted its plain walls and a light blue stream ran across the poles of the room, giving the bridge a much more futuristic look compared to the ancient inscriptions displayed in the levels below.

High ranked mammals sat in a circular formation surrounding an inner circle, where it centered around a tiny white lamb. Captain Dawn Bellwether sat intently, watching straight into the dark abyss of empty space, completely surrounded by panels from the ship's hull integrity to the ship’s energy supply. 

She wasn’t your average looking captain. She was small, weak, and delicate but where she lacked, she made up with her superior intellect and strategic mind. Aside from her, only seven other Officers sat within the high ranks.

One of them was Commander Douglas “Doug” Ramses, Dawn’s first hand man. The two were inseparable since the academy. Not that they were lovers, but they completed each other. Doug was the brawn to put mammals in check. He could bend steel, knock out rhinos, and crack nearly all your bones with a single attack. He had more scars than wool in his body that all tell gruesome stories throughout his career. Mammals would think twice before crossing him, but he was merely a puppet with strings attached and Dawn Bellwether was the puppeteer that made him dance to her heart’s content. She was smart, tactical, cunning, and, undoubtedly, dangerous. A whole different kind of deadly.

“Report!” Dawn demanded as they entered the bridge. 

“Seven-hundred kilos of illegal goods, over a hundred firearms, and twenty-one convicts, including Captain Wilde.” 

The black striped buck led the infiltration duty on the ship ‘Dark Crimson’ a couple of hours back, to which Judy was a part of. Having arrested captain Nick Wilde alone made her feel a sense of achievement and pride.

“You mentally impared furballs!'' Dawn spat, “Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to go alone? Your job was to infiltrate and sabotage until our _actual_ units arrived.” The entire bridge went silent as she roared at them. Judy hated that word, ‘actual units’, as if they were incapable of serving their unit.

“If the high command finds out that _you_ are intentionally risking your platoon like that, Bogo would be down all of our throats. there are no excuses for your lack of attentiveness.”

“I understand that, Ma’am. But our circumstances were dire, we had no other options than to put him at gunpoint. It even managed to reduce hassle for the strike team-”

“Excuses!” she thundered, “That was reckless decision making that you did and because of you, Corporal Jackson is in medbay fighting for his life. These kinds of actions are exactly why you won’t ever become captain.” 

Judy glanced at Jack. His golden topaz didn't dim for a second. He wasn’t as affected by this as she was. She could conclude only two things from her deduction. Firstly, he has experienced something similar in his career and secondly, he wasn’t going to do anything about it.

His face was as rigid as a stone wall; showing no traces of any emotion. This definitely wasn’t his first rodeo, but it still felt wrong, it didn't point north to her moral compass. If this was what every mission review was like then she wanted no part of it. One mammal relentlessly scolded by his or her captain wasn’t right in the slightest. What about their achievements, their hard work, everything they’ve risked for? The captain can only repay in lashes of venom. She couldn’t bear with it and her mouth decided to take a mind of its own. 

“It was my responsibility, captain!” Judy blurted out hastily. The seven mammals erupted with wide eyes and whispers at Judy's sudden outburst. Even the small sheep seemed to be taken aback by her exclamation. Jack, too, was caught off guard and managed to slip out of his cold demeanor to give her a side-glance, his topaz glint telling her to _lay off_ but to no avail _._

“Reckless actions from a new recruit?” Dawn asked with a hiss, an eyebrow raised. “Such negligence is expected from a rookie such as you. Inexperienced and undisciplined, it was inevitable.” She then snapped back to Jack and breathed out a hard sigh.

“You, on the other hand,” she pointed a finger to Jack’s direction. “If you can’t control your own privates for one mission, then maybe you _shouldn't_ be a Sergeant.” 

Judy’s eyes widened and her heart sank. Was she going to demote him? She couldn’t. Jack has always led them through tough times. He has kept pushing and derived the best out of all of them. His demotion would be unjustified, unfair, a complete abuse of her power. 

“Captain no! You can't demote him!” she cried out. “He’s been an excellent mentor to me and the rest of the platoon. It was my fault. I disobeyed his orders. I was the one that caught Nick Wilde alone and initiated the gunfights.” Judy felt helpless, as a young kit caught red handed in the mess. She stayed silent as the woolled creature stepped down from her high chair and approached her closely. Dawn inspected the young recruit thoroughly before giving a wide smile of delight. 

“Are you brave enough to back your claims for him?” Dawn questioned almost too mischievously. Judy hesitated to answer at first but all she could think of was Jack. This could easily be a trap but she didn’t care.

“Yes.” she replied. “Every word.” Dawn gave her a malicious smile that made chills run down her spine and regret filled her stomach almost immediately. But what's been said cannot be taken back, so she settled for what is to come from her mouth. 

"Your words have compelled me, private.” Dawn replied. Judy was surprised by the hint of fascination in her words, though it was short-lived.

“However, it is not enough for me to alter from my previous judgment,” she pressed on. “These kinds of actions are not acceptable from a Sergeant.” She returned to her chair and gave Judy a cynical smile. No doubt that she'd fall into her trap but Judy was ready to risk everything.

“Please Ma’am.” Judy begged. “Let it be me. Don’t take the sergeant into account. I'll take the consequences for him.” Judy glanced beside her to look at her friend. Jack’s topaz eyes glinted back at her, or more of a plead for her to seize whatever she planned knowing far too well where it could get her. Judy was still persistent and pushed on.

“You dare take his place, private?” Dawn asked. Jack begged through his eyes one last time but Judy shut down all common sense.

“Without a shadow of a doubt.” Judy replied. Jack wanted to scream from frustration. He wanted to say something but he knew anything he said from this point on forward would only tarnish her future further. 

“So be it. For your insubordination private, you are to be tasked off his team. No outside missions. You will be on guarding duty till further notice. Have I made myself clear?” Dawn said with such authority, the ground seemed to tremble below her, “Yes Ma’am!” the two rabbits saluted in unison. 

The sheep relaxed back against her captain’s chair. “Very well. You are both dismissed.” she ordered. “I’ll have one of the service crew lend you a red uniform later.” The two hares gave a salute before scuttling along to the elevator. As the doors closed, she saw a glimpse of a smile. A smile that sent chills down her spine and made her sleepless at night. Not surprising that the smile belonged to the captain herself.


End file.
